1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to building construction, and more particularly to bracing for concrete walls below grade.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Typically basement wall construction of many residences involves the use of a built-up construction of concrete blocks, resting upon a poured concrete footing. However, there are advantages to, and increasing interest in, making the entire basement wall of poured concrete instead of the conventional block construction.
It is typical practice to brace basement walls from the inside by using many timbers. The purpose is to avoid inward collapse of the walls during backfilling of the excavation around the outside of the wall. Very often the builder will also prefer to complete framing and roofing of the building, and thereby apply a substantial vertical load on the walls, prior to backfilling, in order to help avoid any inward movement of the wall during the backfilling. Nevertheless, it would sometimes be advantageous to backfill before framing the building. Also, considerable savings in terms of labor and materials may be achieved if all of the timber bracing which is currently employed in basement wall construction, could be omitted. The present invention is intended to provide a suitable answer to the need, at least for poured concrete walls.
Although there are some patents known to me as a result of preliminary searching, and they deal with bracing or anchoring of walls or excavations, none of them seems desirable or particularly useful for residential construction of the type with which my invention is primarily concerned. These patents are as follows:
3,226,935 Schneller Jan. 4, 1966 PA1 3,243,963 Schnabel, Jr. Apr. 5, 1966 PA1 3,299,644 White Jan. 24, 1967 PA1 3,507,121 Morfeldt Apr. 21, 1970
It should be understood, of course, that my invention is applicable to construction of buildings other than residences.